Ninety-seven people were killed as an earthquake struck Indonesia’s Aceh province early on Wednesday. Frantic rescue effort was on in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings.Maj. Gen. ...

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck western Indonesia today has nearly doubled to 97, the military said, as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of scores of shattered buildings.
The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district in Aceh province at dawn as many in the mainly Muslim region on Sumatra island were preparing for morning prayers.
The death toll has steadily climbed as rescue crews search, often by hand, through the homes, mosques and shops reduced to ruins.
The earlier figure of 52 dead was revised up significantly by the Indonesian military, which has taken over responsibility for the search and rescue operation. "So far 97 people have been killed and the number keeps growing," Aceh military chief Tatang Sulaiman told AFP.
"When we retrieve bodies sometimes theres five, sometimes 10 corpses." More than 1,000 soldiers and about 900 police have been deployed to the worst-hit areas to set up shelters and evacuation points, he added.
Hundreds of houses and shops had ...

A strong earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Aceh province early on Wednesday, killing 97 people and sparking a frantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings.Maj. Gen. Tat...

The death toll from a strong earthquake that hit northern Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday has doubled to at least 50, Indonesia's disaster agency said, as rescuers searched dozens of collapsed buildings for trapped survivors. Search and rescue teams used earth movers to clear rubble and reach what authorities believed were dozens of victims trapped after the magnitude 6.5 quake.
Sutopo Nugroho of the national disaster management agency said a state of emergency had been declared in Aceh, which sits on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra island. "We are now focusing on searching for victims and possible survivors," Nugroho said.
President Joko Widodo said he had instructed his chief of staff to visit the disaster area.
Aceh was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami centred on its western coast near the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, on Dec. 26, 2004. Wednesday's quake hit the east coast of the province, about 170 km (105 miles) from Banda Aceh. Nugroho said Aceh's Pidie Jaya regency, ...

At least 41 people died and hundreds were injured after a strong earthquake struck off Aceh province on Indonesias Sumatra island today, local officials said.
The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district at dawn, as some in the predominantly Muslim region prepared for morning prayers.
Mosques and shops were flattened in the small town of Meureudu, where the force of the quake sent people fleeing from their homes. No tsunami alert was issued.
The head of the local disaster agency, Puteh Manaf, said the sole hospital in the district had been overwhelmed by the number of injured.
"The data we have now is that 25 people have been killed and hundreds are estimated to have suffered injuries," he told AFP.
Local district secretary Iskandar Ali also confirmed the figure, citing preliminary data that showed at least 25 had died in the quake.
Rescue operations were under way to find those believed trapped beneath the rubble, with heavy machinery being used to shift the debris.
A witness said local ...

At least 52 people have died and hundreds are injured after a strong earthquake struck Aceh province on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday, an official said. The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake hit Pidie Jaya district at dawn.

A strong undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Aceh province early on Wednesday, killing at least 54 people and sparking a frantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged build...

At least 25 people died and hundreds were injured after a strong earthquake struck off Aceh province on Indonesias Sumatra island today, local officials said.
The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district at dawn, as some in the predominantly Muslim region prepared for morning prayers.
Mosques and shops were flattened in the small town of Meureudu, where the force of the quake sent people fleeing from their homes. No tsunami alert was issued.
The head of the local disaster agency, Puteh Manaf, said the sole hospital in the district had been overwhelmed by the number of injured.
"The data we have now is that 25 people have been killed and hundreds are estimated to have suffered injuries," he told AFP.
Local district secretary Iskandar Ali also confirmed the figure, citing preliminary data that showed at least 25 had died in the quake.
Rescue operations were under way to find those believed trapped beneath the rubble, with heavy machinery being used to shift the debris.
A witness said local ...

At least 18 people were killed and dozens feared trapped in rubble after a strong earthquake struck off Aceh province on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday."Eighteen have died so far, based on da...

At least 25 people died and hundreds were injured after a strong earthquake struck off Aceh province on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday, local officials said. The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district at dawn, as some in the predominantly Muslim region prepared for morning prayers.
Mosques and shops were flattened in the small town of Meureudu, where the force of the quake sent people fleeing from their homes. No tsunami alert was issued. The head of the local disaster agency, Puteh Manaf, said the sole hospital in the district had been overwhelmed by the number of injured. "The data we have now is that 25 people have been killed and hundreds are estimated to have suffered injuries," he told AFP.
Local district secretary Iskandar Ali also confirmed the figure, citing preliminary data that showed at least 25 had died in the quake. Rescue operations were under way to find those believed trapped beneath the rubble, with heavy machinery being used to shift the debris. A witness said ...